30. Stanford Develops New Way to Remove Clots from the Brain

Stanford researchers have developed an innovative medical device called a milli-spinner to improve the treatment of ischemic strokes. While traditional methods of removing blood clots often fail when blockages are dense, this tiny, tethered tool uses centrifugal force to condense clots to a fraction of their original size. By twisting fibrin proteins and squeezing out blood cells, the device makes the obstruction much easier to extract from the brain's arteries. This interdisciplinary collaboration between mechanical engineering and radiology aims to increase the success rate of surgeries and reduce brain damage. Ultimately, the team hopes to move into human clinical trials to provide stroke survivors with a faster, more effective path to recovery.